EV6 Vienna to Belgrade

[HobbesOnTour]

We found this pillar of shame in one of the corners of the camping site - no clue what is it doing there.

wonder if it's in some way connected to this?
https://scandasia.com/jens-galschiots-statue-exhibited-in-budapest-in-protest-of-chinese-project/

more info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillar_of_Shame

where all we need is to heat some water during a 10-day

I couldn't manage without the security of knowing I could brew my own coffee in a pinch. A possible solution would be a Trangia alcohol stove (other brands are available) coupled with their mini frame. Alcohol is available pretty much everywhere.

To buy an accordeon, then lag it on his bicycle, on top of all the other gear, for a whole week.

I can't help but think that a potentially great, epic tale was lost here
For context: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23316.Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridge

 

[dimrub]

I can't help but think that a potentially great, epic tale was lost here
For context: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23316.Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridge

I so hope Daniel doesn't read this!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I so hope Daniel doesn't read this!

The kid's 18! Let him make his own choices

 

[Gillstay]

Good write up. Thanks for putting in the effort.

 

[Gwylan]

Excellent effort. But challenges me to go for GOYA and next year or bust. Might be recruiting unsuspecting companions. Bring your own tent

 

[HobbesOnTour]

First, my GPS, which usually screams bloody murder at the smallest deviation, was silent like a fish this time. But then, when we did get back on track, it became so confused that it kept sending us on imaginary routes all the way to the end of the day.

I was going to ask if you had turned it off and back on again but then I see......

I always use it in the road cycling mode. Perhaps the roads and paths here are either so bad, or unknown to the routing application, that it just can't use them, and tries coming up with ridiculous alternatives instead? I tried switching it into the mountain biking mode, and it worked like a charm. It also screwed all my screens, no more average speed

I think that this is really interesting.
A pre planned route couldn't be shown correctly by the gps device because the gps was in the wrong mode? I've never seen mention of this before.
I understand well enough how the different modes operate when planning a route but affecting following a route is a new one for me. In your shoes I'd be following up with Garmin on this.

I'd wonder how the unit would cope in places where the underlying maps haven't been updated or brand new roads have been laid. There's no mode for that!

It may be worth checking to see if there's a route recalculation feature that you can disengage? At least then it should still display the original that you can shadow on the fly.

Far from home, I think it's important to have faith in our tools and a gps is one of the important ones. As are any route planners we use. Given your plans for a multi-month tour and aware of your fondness for Komoot, I'd strongly urge you to start getting familiar with a backup such as Osmand. It's a huge, and I mean huge tool that weighs nothing and carries huge amounts of info, once maps are downloaded has pretty much full functionality offline and presuming you have a semi-modern Garmin will allow communication between the two. It has a steep learning curve, though and the sooner familiarity starts, the better.

I tried out a Garmin once, many years ago now, and to be fair to Garmin the model (Touring) has since been superseded. A significant falling down (for me) was its inability to deal with routes that crossed themselves (think a figure 8). It just went crazy.
Similarly, going off course for any length of time caused it problems when I eventually rejoined the planned route.
By contrast, my non-Garmin unit will happily take me cross country on a pre-planned route irrespective of if a path exists or not and even give me a route to follow when I cross a border without having checked I have the map for the new country first.

P.S. Don't forget to change the mode back otherwise Lord knows where it might bring you when you're back riding!

 

[dimrub]

I think that this is really interesting.
A pre planned route couldn't be shown correctly by the gps device because the gps was in the wrong mode? I've never seen mention of this before.

Me neither! Switching to mountain biking was a hail Mary move, I didn't think it would work - but it did!

I understand well enough how the different modes operate when planning a route but affecting following a route is a new one for me. In your shoes I'd be following up with Garmin on this.

I'd wonder how the unit would cope in places where the underlying maps haven't been updated or brand new roads have been laid. There's no mode for that!

It may be worth checking to see if there's a route recalculation feature that you can disengage? At least then it should still display the original that you can shadow on the fly.

I think recalculation is the key here, indeed. The unit was ok showing me the original route as is, but once I deviated from it even slightly it "wanted" to get me back on track, and for that it needed to plot a new route - using the defined mode.

I think on both days that the GPS was misbehaving it happened after a detour, so that makes sense. What's interesting is that from that moment on the unit was confused - even if you got back on the original route on your own!

Far from home, I think it's important to have faith in our tools and a gps is one of the important ones. As are any route planners we use. Given your plans for a multi-month tour and aware of your fondness for Komoot, I'd strongly urge you to start getting familiar with a backup such as Osmand. It's a huge, and I mean huge tool that weighs nothing and carries huge amounts of info, once maps are downloaded has pretty much full functionality offline and presuming you have a semi-modern Garmin will allow communication between the two. It has a steep learning curve, though and the sooner familiarity starts, the better.

Yes, I agree, a backup is a must in such a situation. Thanks, I'll start looking into Osmand. I mean, I'm familiar with it a nodding acquaintance, but will now really get to know it .

I tried out a Garmin once, many years ago now, and to be fair to Garmin the model (Touring) has since been superseded. A significant falling down (for me) was its inability to deal with routes that crossed themselves (think a figure 8). It just went crazy.
Similarly, going off course for any length of time caused it problems when I eventually rejoined the planned route.
By contrast, my non-Garmin unit will happily take me cross country on a pre-planned route irrespective of if a path exists or not and even give me a route to follow when I cross a border without having checked I have the map for the new country first.

Sounds like I want both - the flexibility of being able to reroute on the go - and the reliability of following the route no matter what. What kind of unit are you using with Osmand? Is it a phone app or a dedicated satnav device?

P.S. Don't forget to change the mode back otherwise Lord knows where it might bring you when you're back riding!

Ah, no worries, the way their UX works - you have to specify the riding mode before the beginning of every ride. Way too many button pushes to just start riding.

 

[dimrub]

A small addition to this post - my equipment list and impressions.

Bags:
I had 2 panniers, 1 huge saddle bag, a frame bag, a snack bag and a handlebar bag.
Panniers are great, nothing to change there. Same with handlebar bag and snack bag. The saddle bag was just stupid. I had to fit somewhere a yoga mat that I took in addition to the thermarest. I first put it on the rear rack, beneath the saddle bag, but it barely fit there and kept popping out, so I tied it with bungees on top of the saddle bag, and for that I made it lie flat on the rear rack. Effectively, it was no longer a saddle bag. It would have been so much better to have a proper backpack instead. I even have the perfect backpack for that: it's large, convenient and waterproof. I can carry it with me as carry-on luggage, conveniently. Also, Kona Sutra has a front rack. So next time the setup will be: 4 panniers, handlebar bag, snack bag, backpack on the rear rack, and that's it.

Camping equipment:
The tent I borrowed from a friend is Nordisk oppland 3 lw, and it's just amazing. It's incredibly light and compact for its size, and the size is absolutely huge - it has plenty of space in the inner tent and then another huge space as an anteroom, good to fit all of our equipment. I absolutely love this tent. However, while extremely light for its size, it's pretty heavy and bulky in absolute terms. If I only bring a tent as a backup, as I might do next time, perhaps I'll bring my Nemo Hornet 2. It's way smaller but, well, way lighter too.

The pad - I mean, thermarest is great, and put on top of a yoga mat, provided me with perfect support, orthopedic matress style. I might reconsider the yoga mat though. I mean, it's cheap, I can use it to pad the bike in transit, then tie it on top and not care too much about it. The jury's still out on this.

The sleeping bag - mine is pretty old, a Lamina 35. It's bulky, and the rating is just way too low - I don't need this for trips like the one we had, especially with liner added. I'll have to invest in a new one.

The liner is great. Also, I brought along a footprint for the tent, and it's just sensical to use it, to avoid damaging expensive equipment.

The chair. I loved the chair. We put it in the anteroom of the tent, you could actually sit there, and do stuff: organize your kit, read, have a cup of tea. I mean, it's a luxury, but I loved it.

The pillow. I bought it for peanuts on Ali, and it's pretty great. Wouldn't give up on it for the world.

The mosquitos net. Absolutely useless on this trip, but I might take it if/when I ride in Finland (the mosquitos there are brutal).

The USB-rechargeable head torch, the camping towel - all good.

Bike stuff
Spare chain - stupid, didn't need it. Might take a few more magic links next time.
Spare tire - didn't need it. Probably won't take with me next time - especially if I go tubes. 2 tubes - yes, that I'll take.
A nice floor mini-pump off Ali - excellent product, will use it from now on.
Lock - yes
Lube - yes
Sealant - stupid, didn't need it for a trip this long
Multitool and Leatherman - yes and yes
Lights - of course. And these are pretty great ones. The front one is a brute, its battery holds forever and it's very strong. Guess where I bought them.
A bunch of straps, bungee, zip ties, electrical tape, some inner cores - yes, by all means.
Puncture kits - didn't need them, will obviously continue bringing them
A microfiver rug for the chain - yes
A combination lock and chain - yes, pretty useful for leaving the bike near shops for short durations

Cooking
Jetboiler - yes, loved it. So yes, you need to buy a gas cartridge. Not a problem if you're approaching it purposefully.
A knock-off mini-airpress - loved it, will use again.
Collapsible bowls, kitchen set off REI, a refillable set for 4 condiments, a container for sugar, tea bags and one spare one - all were used, all were great.

Clothes
A running rain jacket - I used it a lot. We were lucky with the weather, but if there'd have been a serious rain, I'd be drenched in it. I'll need to fix my Arcteryx Alpha SV and bring it along. It's quite bulky, but it's called a rain fortress for a reason.
A puffy jacket - didn't use it at all, except gave it to Daniel after he lost his fleece jacket. Still, a good thing to have.
Spare pants - too heavy, should just bring 2 pairs of the light Decathlon pants - I only had 1 pair, and I basically wore it for 10 days straight.
Padded short - I brought 1, needed to bring 2.
T-shirts - I had 4, 1 of those - long sleeve, seemed about right.
Middle layer - forgot to pack it eventually, but did ok without it, probably redundant.
Underwear - I had 4, and it was about right.
Socks - I had 2 pairs of running socks and 2 pairs of long socks, ended up using 1 pair of running socks a couple of times and 1 pair of long socks - 1 time.
Shoes - I wore sandals throughout. Brought with me running shoes too, and that's fine, even though I didn't use them during the trip (but we did go running once in Belgrade).
Base layer - completely redundant on such a trip.

Misc
Medicines - I went a bit overboard there, will need to cull a bit more carefully next time. I also brought a blood pressure cuff, which was just silly. However, If I mostly use hotels next time, I'm going to bring my CPAP with me, for sure.
Camera - haven't used it once, dead weight.
Bikeline books - rule
Power banks - the 30,000 is just too heavy. The 10,000 is great, I just need another one just like this one, and I'm set.
Tablet - I ended up bringing my laptop, which turned out to be a good choice. For that reason I also brought a slightly bulkier charger, which was ok.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

The unit was ok showing me the original route as is, but once I deviated from it even slightly it "wanted" to get me back on track, and for that it needed to plot a new route - using the defined mode.

That makes sense. I must have misunderstood.

What's interesting is that from that moment on the unit was confused - even if you got back on the original route on your own!

At that stage did you try the switch off/back on fix?

Sounds like I want both - the flexibility of being able to reroute on the go - and the reliability of following the route

Is there no facility to switch it on and off?

What kind of unit are you using with Osmand? Is it a phone app or a dedicated satnav device?

I use a dedicated gps device for navigation and lately for recording the ride. It's a Wahoo unit and, to my mind, is the perfect unit for me. It has a companion app on my phone so no computer is necessary. Setup is done from the app. It would be feasible to load the unit with routes and never need the phone.
I'm not a fan of navigation by phone, especially far from home. Plotting routes on the phone, on the other hand is second nature at this stage.

Originally, I had the Elemnt, perfect for me with no rerouting capability and now have the Roam with a color screen (unnecessary) and rerouting capability. Normally that is off (don't want it as I tend not to stick to planned routes) but can be switched on or off from the app. When used, it works well and I was impressed testing it in México city how it plotted perfectly safe routes. Komoot, by comparison wanted to kill me - a surprisingly difficult thing to do in CDMX.

It is pretty much bulletproof. There's maybe a handful of rides that have been "lost", most due to user error (running out of juice and dumbass aborting the restart process). It uses simple maps but on a small screen I neither want nor need any more detail. I like simple.

I rate Wahoo very highly for customer service.

Maps are stored on the device and can be deleted/downloaded at will.

Display pages are customisable.

One cool feature is the ability to record my location. On arrival in a new place if I see something I want to visit later I can mark it off on the device and return later. Very handy for marking off likely wildcamping spots that can be returned to later.

It displays the upcoming 2km of climbing data, colour coding the gradient as well as the option of seeing the elevation profile for the whole route.
The latest update has resulted in a new climbing feature. On a preloaded route the unit will calculate all the climbs, beep a warning at the start of each one, then display the gradient, the elevation still to go and the distance still to go. At first, I was horrified, but now that I'm used to it I quite like it. There's an extra screen that will show me what climbs I have done and what are remaining.

For recording, it's great. Once the ride is over it will connect to Strava, RWGPS etc. User error aside, it just works.

There are a whole load of performance features that I know nothing about.

Ironically, I rarely use Osmand to plot a bike route. It's main use is as a source of info (tonnes of POIs as well as my own ones that I can add), extra gradient info (it breaks it down into eg: 10km @ 0-4%, 5km @ 4-8%) and for comparing the CT route to check that I'm not missing anything interesting.
On arrival in Spain, for example, I had marked off all the "Pueblos más Bonitos". I'd tell CT where I wanted to go, save the route, open it in Osmand see that I was missing a PMB, check the elevation then go back to CT and adjust accordingly. Sometimes it's just a viapoint in CT with a note attached that will flash up at the junction. I can make up my mind on the road.
The comfort of having a device in my pocket that will direct me to the nearest hospital/hotel/campsite/Police Station/café etc. offline is very valuable to me. Ever tried to plot a new route online in a thunderstorm? The storm can knock you offline.
When I do want to use it as a planner it will export the gpx file that I can use in my gps unit.

It would have been so much better to have a proper backpack instead.

Have you done much riding with a backpack? I do not recommend it!
Did you do a test ride, or at least a test pack at home?

Spare chain - stupid, didn't need it. Might take a few more magic links next time.
Spare tire

I don't think anyone would accuse me of being a weight weenie and my philosophy is to pack what we need and will make us happy. But. I think it would be interesting to ask yourself why a spare chain and a spare tyre on a short trip on a well developed route? To my way of thinking both of those could have been avoided with some preventative maintenance in advance.

Jetboiler - yes, loved it. So yes, you need to buy a gas cartridge.

Ironically, if ever there was a place to get a cannister in the size you wanted it would have been in Vienna - a place you seemed unnaturally hasty to get out of!
However, with longer trips in mind, it's worth remembering that the things we use at home may not be available on the road nor in the same size. A weekend trip I can pack enough coffee for two mornings. A two week trip I take more. Longer, I'll be resupplying on the road in whatever size is available. Or adapting to something else.
There's an irony to one member of your duo being denied the opportunity to buy an accordion, yet daily buying sixpacks of cider (or equivalents) while another is denied morning coffee because the cannister is too damn big! Not in my world!

Collapsible bowls,

They won't last

Middle layer - forgot to pack

Neither here nor there but if something was "forgotten" it may be an idea to look at the process. Next time it could be something important.

Bikeline books - rule

Great books but heavy. I notice you use the plural. Have you considered taking photos and carrying the book on your phone? Mind you, there's a lot to be said for the feel of a book.

Having browsed your packing list I'm seeing a contrast in your preparations. Your route seems to have been researched in infinite detail, even with personal input from others, yet your packing comes across as less well prepared. You seem to know where every Aldi/Lidl/Tesco is on your route but not where to buy the size gas cannister you want.
Speaking only for myself, the route is one of the least important things for me. Having the things I want and need to be able to enjoy the route I'm on is of far more importance. I can change my route as I please. I can't stop anywhere and buy gas. (That's one of the reasons why I use alcohol).
(When I arrived in the US I had three or four routes in Gizmo - depending on which part of the port I'd be leaving from - that all passed a hardware store that I knew had alcohol for my stove. I think I even knew what aisle it was in!)
You set off with poor gears, a chain in unknown condition and brakes that needed bleeding. Those things would gnaw at me with every single pedal stroke and sharp descent. I'd rather arrive with no route planned and a bike in tip-top condition than the opposite. But that's just me.

I don't mean to be critical but the next leg, if you go for it, will possibly be the most challenging yet and you have a pretty big 10k km ride on the horizon. Knowing the "best way" from A to B isn't the same as enjoying the trip from A to B.

 

[dimrub]

At that stage did you try the switch off/back on fix?

I did. It didn't help (but it retained my in-progress track, which was great news).

Is there no facility to switch it on and off?

According to the forums, there is a function of turning recalculation off, but it seems not to work perfectly. I'll try it out on next opportunity I have.

I use a dedicated gps device for navigation and lately for recording the ride. It's a Wahoo unit and, to my mind, is the perfect unit for me. It has a companion app on my phone so no computer is necessary. Setup is done from the app. It would be feasible to load the unit with routes and never need the phone.
I'm not a fan of navigation by phone, especially far from home. Plotting routes on the phone, on the other hand is second nature at this stage.

Nice. I can do a route on the phone - Komoot app is reasonably good for that, but it's still much easier to do on the computer.

Originally, I had the Elemnt, perfect for me with no rerouting capability and now have the Roam with a color screen (unnecessary) and rerouting capability. Normally that is off (don't want it as I tend not to stick to planned routes) but can be switched on or off from the app. When used, it works well and I was impressed testing it in México city how it plotted perfectly safe routes. Komoot, by comparison wanted to kill me - a surprisingly difficult thing to do in CDMX.

It is pretty much bulletproof. There's maybe a handful of rides that have been "lost", most due to user error (running out of juice and dumbass aborting the restart process). It uses simple maps but on a small screen I neither want nor need any more detail. I like simple.

I think I'll check the option of retaining the physical device (it's pretty good, all in all), but switching to a different routing app, and maybe playing with disabling recalculation.

I rate Wahoo very highly for customer service.

I seem to remember you having issues with it on your Big Trip, and they managed to send you a replacement? That's a nice touch.

One cool feature is the ability to record my location. On arrival in a new place if I see something I want to visit later I can mark it off on the device and return later. Very handy for marking off likely wildcamping spots that can be returned to later.

Ah, that's a nice touch. I also lack the ability to mark particular POI while planning the route, and making the device notify me of passing them. Unfortunately, Komoot+Garmin combo does not support this obvious feature.

It displays the upcoming 2km of climbing data, colour coding the gradient as well as the option of seeing the elevation profile for the whole route.
The latest update has resulted in a new climbing feature. On a preloaded route the unit will calculate all the climbs, beep a warning at the start of each one, then display the gradient, the elevation still to go and the distance still to go. At first, I was horrified, but now that I'm used to it I quite like it. There's an extra screen that will show me what climbs I have done and what are remaining.

Yes, Garmin does that too, but not perfectly. First, the data seems to be flawed, so it imagines climbs where none exist - I think I wrote about this on this forum before. Second, once it believes there is a climb in progress, it switches you to that climb screen - even if what you want at the moment is the navigation screen. Perhaps there is a way to prevent it from doing so, I'll have to take a look into it.

Ironically, I rarely use Osmand to plot a bike route. It's main use is as a source of info (tonnes of POIs as well as my own ones that I can add), extra gradient info (it breaks it down into eg: 10km @ 0-4%, 5km @ 4-8%) and for comparing the CT route to check that I'm not missing anything interesting.
On arrival in Spain, for example, I had marked off all the "Pueblos más Bonitos". I'd tell CT where I wanted to go, save the route, open it in Osmand see that I was missing a PMB, check the elevation then go back to CT and adjust accordingly. Sometimes it's just a viapoint in CT with a note attached that will flash up at the junction. I can make up my mind on the road.

Yes, that's what I was talking about above.

Have you done much riding with a backpack? I do not recommend it!
Did you do a test ride, or at least a test pack at home?

Oh no! I do not intend to rid with it on my back! It will be strapped to the rack, and I can then use it as a backpack in the airport or while off the bike. Never-ever do I ride or want to ride with it on my back! *Shudders*

I don't think anyone would accuse me of being a weight weenie and my philosophy is to pack what we need and will make us happy. But. I think it would be interesting to ask yourself why a spare chain and a spare tyre on a short trip on a well developed route? To my way of thinking both of those could have been avoided with some preventative maintenance in advance.

The answer is my stupidity in this case. The tire somehow makes sense (just barely), but chain - forget it.

Ironically, if ever there was a place to get a cannister in the size you wanted it would have been in Vienna - a place you seemed unnaturally hasty to get out of!
However, with longer trips in mind, it's worth remembering that the things we use at home may not be available on the road nor in the same size. A weekend trip I can pack enough coffee for two mornings. A two week trip I take more. Longer, I'll be resupplying on the road in whatever size is available. Or adapting to something else.
There's an irony to one member of your duo being denied the opportunity to buy an accordion, yet daily buying sixpacks of cider (or equivalents) while another is denied morning coffee because the cannister is too damn big! Not in my world!

Rest assured, not once have I gone without my morning coffee. And that's the key here. I agree, the packing was far from perfect, but that's because the stakes were low. We only really brought the camping equipment in order to experiment - and we used it on 3 nights, but there was always the option of finding a reasonably priced accommodation, and even at the camping grounds there were kitchenettes with electric kettles.

They won't last

Ouch. That's a pity. I do have a collapsible cup that I've been using for a long time, but not for any serious duration at a time. I love how compact they fold, so too bad.

Great books but heavy. I notice you use the plural. Have you considered taking photos and carrying the book on your phone? Mind you, there's a lot to be said for the feel of a book.

Yes, there were two: one covering the stretch to Budapest, and the other - from there to Belgrade. I thought of moving them over to the phone, but in this case I succumbed to the irrational, including nostalgy. They have these little maps with red pins denoting distances - just like in a road atlass we had when I was a kid, that we used to navigate when going on vacations.

Having browsed your packing list I'm seeing a contrast in your preparations. Your route seems to have been researched in infinite detail, even with personal input from others, yet your packing comes across as less well prepared. You seem to know where every Aldi/Lidl/Tesco is on your route but not where to buy the size gas cannister you want.
Speaking only for myself, the route is one of the least important things for me. Having the things I want and need to be able to enjoy the route I'm on is of far more importance. I can change my route as I please. I can't stop anywhere and buy gas. (That's one of the reasons why I use alcohol).
(When I arrived in the US I had three or four routes in Gizmo - depending on which part of the port I'd be leaving from - that all passed a hardware store that I knew had alcohol for my stove. I think I even knew what aisle it was in!)
You set off with poor gears, a chain in unknown condition and brakes that needed bleeding. Those things would gnaw at me with every single pedal stroke and sharp descent. I'd rather arrive with no route planned and a bike in tip-top condition than the opposite. But that's just me.

Well, it's not THAT bad. I mean, I knew the brakes are fine. I would have preferred to have them bled anyway, but it was by no means urgent. The gears - yes, I did my best to tune them myself, but I didn't consider it an urgent issue because I knew the route to be all but flat - for that reason I haven't replaced the chainwheel either, even though I received it in time for the trip. As for gas - I see your point, but again, it was just low priority. We planned originally to pass through Decathlon in Vienna, which I knew to have gas cartridges of proper make and size, but it would have delayed us by a couple of hours, and I decided against it.

I don't mean to be critical but the next leg, if you go for it, will possibly be the most challenging yet and you have a pretty big 10k km ride on the horizon. Knowing the "best way" from A to B isn't the same as enjoying the trip from A to B.

Absolutely. The 1500 km from Belgrade (actually, from Novi Sad) to the sea are up a notch in difficulty and in sparsity of available services, so there will be a change in priorities there for sure - that's why I'm doing this equipment postmortem now, to identify the weak points while they're fresh in my memory.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Komoot app is reasonably good for that, but it's still much easier to do on the computer.

A bugbear of mine in relation to planning apps is that the interface is often different between phone and computer. That I can live with, It's when the functionality is different that I get really peed off.

They managed to send you a replacement? That's a nice touch.

Sending the replacement wasn't the service I was talking about. It was the way they went about it - they read my email, understood it and when I next checked had replied with all the information I needed to proceed. (I was on the road, intermittent internet connectivity, in a country they didn't operate or have any agents in). They were entirely helpful, understanding and very flexible. It contrasted very strongly with thermarest who, after all, make and sell products for travel.
Previously, when my Elemnt wasn't working as expected I received a call, was put onto a conference-type call with several people in the office and they listened as I explained what the issue was. At first sceptical, they accepted my challenge, tested a unit and agreed that I was right and that it wasn't supposed to function in that way. It took a while, but the issue was fixed. (An obscure issue to do with loading routes on the phone but not in the app without internet connectivity). That contrasted strongly to when I contacted Garmin customer support over questions with their unit).

Unfortunately, Komoot+Garmin combo does not support this obvious feature.

CT and Garmin will. (Or at least most Garmins). Put in a viapoint, add a note and it'll pop up as a turn by turn direction. An incredibly useful tool.

once it believes there is a climb in progress, it switches you to that climb screen - even if what you want at the moment is the navigation screen.

There has to be a way to turn it off?? I just flip between screens as normal.

stupidity

I dislike that word. Intensely.

the packing was far from perfect, but that's because the stakes were low.

Does not compute.
The boy scouts have a good motto - "be prepared", or if you prefer sports "fail to prepare, prepare to fail" (Roy Keane, amongst others).
Another one I like is something like "the harder I work the luckier I get".
I recall a July trip in NL, the way north all sun and temps into the 30. The return was into driving rain and ferocious wind. A coffee and hot couscous stop in a forest was a real spirit revival. Similarly, I cycled along Lake Constance/Bodensee in sunny temps into the mid 20's along cycle paths filled with families and dogs. The next day it was 1C, raining and a very different world.

even at the camping grounds there were kitchenettes with electric kettles.

Depending on where you go, that won't be a common feature.

Well, it's not THAT bad

Perhaps I over-egged the tortilla.
I'm suggesting a more balanced approach to planning and decision making is all.

 

[dimrub]

I went over the planned and completed routes on Komoot and compared the times. On 4 days Komoot's prediction was almost spot on (I mean, within 30 minutes from the prediction is pretty close if you ask me), with 3 out of those us being slightly slower than predicted, and once being ahead of the prediction. On all the other days we were much, much slower than the prediction. I think the last day, Vukovar to Novi Sad, was the worst, with predicted time of 3:40 and actual in-motion time of 4:52. Granted, Komoot underestimated the climbs on that day by 100m.

Initially, I thought the reasons for this had to do with Komoot not knowing about the varying quality of the dyke roads, and getting the climbs wrong, but then I tried playing with the fitness slider. Initially it was set to "good shape", but once I moved it to "average", the predictions for almost all the days were now almost exact. So that's a lesson in hubris: you wanna get proper predictions - you better not present yourself for what you aren't: "good shape" my arse.